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Roadracing World Young Gun Ian Tetrick, a 15-year-old from Sutton, West Virginia, has won the 2013 AMA Road Race Horizon Award for his performance during this past weekend's AMA Road Race Grand Championships at VIRginia International Raceway.

In June of 2008 Ian Tetrick was 10 years old when he came to Summit Point and took his Rider’s School. In 2008 he was allowed to practice and was encouraged to do some track days to come up to race speed. He took another WERA Rider’s School at PIRC in August of 2008 and started his racing career in 2009 on a Honda 125 – he ran 17 events that year and finished first Pirelli/WERA Regional Sportsman Champion in Formula 2 Novice and Formula 3 in 3 Regions and took 4th in the Michelin/WERA National Challenge Series that year.

2010 saw Ian move up to Expert Status and he competed at 14 events – it was a rough year for Ian when he was involved in a bad accident at the August Cycle Jam at VIR and had an air lift for a very badly broken leg/femur. The word from the paramedics and Sean Clarke who was on scene was that “he was the most courageous boy they had ever met – he never complained and they knew he was in a great deal of pain”. His recovery time was to be 6 months if not longer. Imagine my surprise when at our Barber event in September he came in with a cane to sign up for his races! Ian went on to finish 1st in the Michelin/WERA National Challenge that year and he managed two more Pirelli/WERA Expert Regional Sportsman Championships in the Formula 3 Class.

Ian was so motivated to return to racing he trained hard and beat the odds and came back stronger than before. He maintained his grades in school to make sure he had his parent’s support. Dad, Frank raced with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing and was now Ian’s main Mechanic! Mom, Donna, was always there to help with Registration and the family did this together and Ian flourished.

2011 saw Ian come in on both a Moriwaki 250 and a Suzuki SV650. He ran in 13 events and took home a Formula 2 Pirelli/WERA Sportsman Championship in the Northcentral Region and won the Formula 2 and Formula 3 as well as the Pirelli/WERA Sportsman Championship in the Lightweight Twins SS Class in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region on the SV650!

2012 Ian ran at 16 events and ran a Kawasaki 600 in the competitive 600 Classes and continued to compete on his Suzuki SV 650. Ian took the Pirelli/WERA Sportsman Championship in Formula 2 and Lightweight Twins SS on his SV 650 in the NorthEast/Mid-Atlantic Region and his best finish on the 600 was a not too shabby 2nd in the same Region.

2013 Ian got the opportunity to ride with top running WERA National Endurance Series, presented by Lucas Oil, Team MWR Investigations and this helped his riding even more. To move up to a 1000cc machine would take him to the highest level and he did it right by taking the steps he did in his riding career. On top of running the WERA National Endurance Series with his Team he has also participated in 12 Sprint events so far in 2013. Ian is riding his 600 Kawasaki in 2013 and sits in First Place for Pirelli/WERA Sportsman Championships in C Superbike, C Superstock and B Superstock in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic Region. He sits in 4th in the highly competitive 600cc Superstock Michelin/WERA National class going into the WERA Grand National Finals.

Ian added another accomplishment to his ongoing career – he was the winner of the 2013 AMA Horizon Award which is given to up and coming riders who show promise and talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. We at WERA Motorcycle Roadracing are so proud of Ian Tetrick and wish him continued success in his quest!